When somebody dies, it is customary that their children receive an inheritance. This usually includes property, possessions, or sometimes money depending on how well the deceased did in life. Whatever the case, it is rare that their children don’t receive something as a token of their parent’s life and death.

The downside to this is that earthly inheritances are, well…earthly. As it says in Ecclesiastes 5:14  “those riches perish…”, and will probably end up being passed down to our children when we die. On the other hand, however, we as Christians have received and inheritance that is far better than any earthly treasure.

Through the death and resurrection of our Lord, He secured for us the promise of eternal life. This is our inheritance. And though there are a number of things that come along with it, nothing else could be of more value. Streets of gold, gates of pearl, a crown of life…while all part of our inheritance, none of those things would be very meaningful if you only got to enjoy them for a short time. Eternal life means that we get to enjoy all the glory of heaven for ever and ever. 10,000 years with our Lord isn’t even a drop in the ocean in contrast with eternity, and the concept of time will vanish from memory as we enjoy all God has has prepared for us.

“For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”

                                                     -Hebrews 9:16-17

In our culture, somebody has to die before any inheritances are given or any wills enforced. In the same way, the death of Christ was a necessary part of us receiving everlasting life. Without His death, we would still be dead in sin. But through His death, we can be made alive. What an inheritance!

 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”

                  -I Peter 1:3-4

When God saves somebody, He does much more than turn a sinner into a saint, or a bad person into a good person. The change is far more drastic than that, for He takes a dead person and makes them live! Contrary to what we often hear, we were not drowning in our sins; we’d already lost the fight. We had long since drowned and sunk to the bottom, yet Christ in His mercy raised us from our spiritual death. He didn’t rescue us from potential death, but delivered us from a death we’d already experienced. He brought us from death to life, from darkness to light, and from hopelessness to salvation.

You see, if we were not 100% dead in our sins, then God would not deserve 100% percent of the glory for bringing us back to life. But since we were fully dead, and now are fully alive in Christ, He can rightfully receive every bit of the praise for this miraculous change. It wasn’t a partial transformation; it was complete.

"But if any man love God, the same is known of him."

                              -I Corinthians 8:3

When somebody is alive, you can usually tell. Without even thinking about it, you can look at them and know immediately that they are not dead. So it should be in our lives, that when we come in contact with the world they immediately notice something different about us. Perhaps they don’t understand the concept of spiritual death and life, but they can sense a difference in us when we are around them that is unlike anything they’ve ever felt before – whether it’s the things we say, the way we act, or even the smile on our face. There should be no need for speculation.

While our human nature usually doesn’t want to be singled out as being different or “weird”, the Lord never promised His children acceptance from anybody other than Him. In reality, how can the living mix in with the dead and not be noticed?

Many of you will remember Chris Sligh from season 6 of American Idol. Even if you’re not an AI fan, you might be more familiar with his song “Empty Me”, which was a big hit on Christian radio stations for a while, and his more recent single “Only You Can Save.”

Anyway, I went to one of his shows this week and had a blast! Other than getting to meet him after the show, my favorite part of the night had to be him singing “Vessel.” Unless you have his first CD you’ve probably never heard it, but it is an amazing song nonetheless that talks about surrendering to God and allowing Him to use us as He sees fit. I know that at some point we’ve probably all had a desire to be used by the Lord in a special way, and this song reminds us of the proper mindset to have: complete surrender. An attitude that says, “God, I’ll serve You no matter what.” Somebody with this mentality is the type of person God looks for when He needs a vessel to use, and it’s the type of attitude we should all have as Christians. Anyway, if I keep rambling on there’ll be no need for you to watch the video, so I guess I’ll stop talking and just let you enjoy the song!

Though always worthwhile, waiting on God can be one of the hardest things we ever have to do. In a culture where everything is available to us at DSL speeds, we aren’t accustomed to waiting for anything. Whether it’s microwave popcorn, lightning fast computers, or even simply turning on the light when you come into a room, we can usually get what we want fairly quickly and without much hassle.

Yet despite our “I want it now” mentality, God often calls us to slow down and wait upon Him. There’s no such thing as  “microwave Christianity!” We can’t expect to push a button and have God make everything perfect in less than 60 seconds. For that matter, we can’t expect Him to transform us into anything close to perfection in that amount of time either. No, the Christian walk would be better compared to a “crock-pot experience”, where we must patiently wait for His perfect will to be revealed, and His perfect plan to be accomplished.  As convenient as it would be if things were otherwise, convenience is not what God is seeking; He does things the right way, regardless of how much longer it might take.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but one downside to microwaves is that, when heating large items, their job is usually not very thorough. Despite it feeling warm on the outside, a few bites into your meal you realize it’s still half-frozen in the middle. In the same way, God undertook a huge task when He adopted us into His family. Yes, we’re forgiven of our past; but our future is still a work in progress. In fact, it’s such a large task that if God were to do things the quick and easy way, the job would end up only half-done. It would appear fine on the outside – but only on the outside.  That’s not what we want, and it’s certainly not what God wants.

Perhaps you’ve been waiting on God for a long time. You’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed, but nothing happens. If this is you, just remember that God is still there. He’s always been there. He’s just making sure that, when all is said and done, everything will have worked together to accomplish His perfect will in your life (Romans 8:28).

A few days ago I asked you guys to briefly define Christianity in your own words. I had five great responses, with each one touching on a different aspect of our faith. But the truth is, as one follower stated, “…Christianity is a small term that defines a big thing.” In light of this, I think it would be very difficult (if not impossible!) to condense the Christian faith  into one comment or blog post. But as difficult as it’s going to be, I’m going to try it anyway!

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

          -1 Corinthians 15:3, 4

First of all, Christianity is putting into action your belief in these truths. After all, faith without works is dead (James 2:17), and so “believing” it without putting it into action is worthless. A true belief that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” will do more than just permeate our mind; it will affect the very way we live our life. To take it a step further, if we truly believe that Christ indeed rose from the dead, why do we so often live as if He is still dead? As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and God doesn’t care about what we profess with our mouth nearly as much as He cares about what we are professing with our our actions.

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

                                                            -Luke 13:3

Secondly,  Christianity is much more than just a decision. Modern-day ministers often urge their congregations to “make a decision for Christ” without ever mentioning the need for repentance or Godly sorrow (II Cor. 7:10). They might speak of “being saved”, yet people leave without an understanding of what they even need to be saved from (i. e. sin and its consequences) . This type of “Christianity” might draw a larger crowd and appear to bring about more conversions, but it is without Biblical foundation and thus is not Christianity at all.

Finally, Christianity is (or at least should be) a lens through which we look at life. Those who have received salvation through the blood of Christ shouldn’t confine their faith to the four walls of their church, but instead allow it to shape every part of their new life. It should alter the way we view issues such as abortion and homosexuality, and even who we vote for in political elections. Not only that, but we should allow it to determine where we work, who we hang out with, and the amount of time and money we spend on nonessential things. You see, Christianity is more than simply a religion or a political standpoint; it is a way of life that we should be living out from day to day.

I know this is a somewhat of a broad definition, but I did my best to cover it as well as possible in a single post. Thank you guys for your input, as it helped me tremendously in putting this together. I hope that we all gained a deeper understanding of what Christianity is all about, and the weight of our words when we claim the name of a Christian. 

 

No, I haven’t forgotten about the post I promised you on the definition of Christianity! In fact, I have it partially drafted already and just need to finish working on it. I hope to have it live by tomorrow evening, so be checking back soon!

I thought, though, that in the meantime you guys might enjoy this video I put together with some of my nature photos  set to music by Chris Tomlin. After all, who doesn’t like Chris Tomlin? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. You might consider checking out my photography blog by clicking the button on my sidebar if so.

Usually, when you come to my blog you can expect to find an encouraging, and hopefully edifying, devotional that challenges you to move deeper in your spiritual walk and draw closer to God. But today I want to do something just a little bit different and, instead of me writing to you, I want your input on a very important question: What is Christianity?

The majority of us already know what we believe and how to defend it, what it means to be saved, and can explain to an unbeliever how they too can experience God’s grace. But for some reason the above question, as simple as it may be, can be a very tricky one to answer. That’s why I want your opinions!

Anyway, if you’re reading this post, please leave me a comment less than 100 words in length and explain your definition of Christianity (or reply to me by email if you’re reading this from your inbox). I too will be meditating on this question over the next day or so, and will use your comments as a resource for a post I’m planning on this topic.

Again, please don’t click away from this page without commenting! Your post could be just what it takes to spark an enlightening discussion.

Yes, it’s me again! I wanted to share this important prayer request with you guys, but it didn’t seem to fit in my last post smoothly. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and wrap up my series on fasting with this great message from Squeaks over at “The Minstrel Warrior.” Here it is:

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Many of you have heard of Emily B.; she’s a 16 year old girl living in England and is battling leukemia (a cancer of the white blood cells). Her button looks like this:

I’ve been reading Emily’s blog for a little while and I’ve been greatly encouraged by the strength of this young lady. She’s currently transporting her belongings to live in a hospital where she’ll be undergoing a 1 month period of isolation. {MY NOTE: To Undergo Cancer Treatment}

Let’s join together for OPERATION: COMBAT!  

So here’s how OPERATION: COMBAT is going to work…I want to gather a force of prayer warriors together that will willingly give up something important to them… and focus on God, praying for Emily’s healing from leukemia. OPERATION: COMBAT will take place 1 day before Emily begins her period of isolation and will continue for approximately one month (until Emily announces that she’s out of isolation)……

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Perhaps through this series you’ve decided you would like to fast more often, or perhaps start one for the very first time. If so, this is a worthwhile cause that I hope you’ll consider. I have the button on my sidebar that you can click to find out more info about it all (the above text was edited for length), and you can also get the grab code to put it on your own website or blog.

I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer, but I also believe that the more people we have praying the better! Won’t you join us and see what God will do!

“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

                                                            -Matthew 6:16

Much like prayer, fasting should be a very personal thing that stays between you and God (and your parents if applicable). While some people like drawing attention to themselves and their wonderful religious deeds, the Christian’s ultimate goal should be to bring glory to God – something that isn’t accomplished with a “look-at-me” attitude. True, there are some instances when sharing a word or two with somebody about our fast might be an encouragement to them, but we should always make sure our motives are pure and the situation appropriate. In most cases, however, we needn’t let everybody on Facebook know, “I’m fasting today.”

I also believe it’s important to remember that fasting is much more than just missing out on something special in your life. Are you going to fast from the computer? Then don’t just stay away from the PC; move closer to God! Is the Lord dealing with you to give up a few meals this week? Then don’t just not eat; feast on God! I say this because I know it can be a real struggle to fill that gap in your day with something worthwhile. Sometimes we tend to be satisfied with the physical aspect of fasting and forget about the spiritual side of it, and therefore miss the whole point. Don’t let this happen to you.

Finally, we should remember that our God has a perfect will, and we should always be willing to compromise our desires for His. For example, earlier this evening I was reading in 2 Samuel 12 where David went on an intense fast when his son’s life was in jeopardy due to a severe illness. For 7 days, he ate nothing. But despite this great act of faith, God said ‘no’ and took his son anyway. Yet instead of turning his back on God and losing faith in the power of prayer, David got up, dusted himself off, and moved on. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his son; rather, he understood that the Lord had a reason for doing what He did that reached much further than his own short-sightedness. Fasting doesn’t twist God’s arm into giving us what we want; it is a tangible way of showing Him how sincerely we desire it.

I’ve been blogging for nearly a year now and have written more than 200 devotionals for you guys, but I just realized a moment ago that I am yet to touch on the subject of fasting. And as important as fasting is, I’d like to take this opportunity to share and discuss a few Scriptures on the subject.

“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

                                       -Esther 4:16

Traditionally, fasting is considered to be a period of abstinence from food (and sometimes water) for the purpose of intensified prayer and drawing closer to God. Many times, a person will fast when seeking direction from God, or when they or somebody else they know has a need in their life that needs attention. What to fast from and how long to continue fasting is generally decided by the individual concerned, although making these decisions through prayerful consideration is always a good idea.

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

                                                                   -Job 23:12

Besides creating more time to spend in prayer and Bible study, fasting also shows the Lord how important He is to you. Think about it. When you put Him before food (or whatever else you may be fasting from), you are saying, in essence, “God, You are more important to me than anything. I would rather miss a meal than miss out on time spent with You!” The Lord greatly honors this kind of commitment, and our additional prayers may be just what it takes to break through the barrier that stands in our way. Additionally, fasting has the strange ability to give us a renewed zeal and  love for God that lasts much longer than the fast itself. In my opinion, that simple truth alone makes any hunger pains more than worth the end result.

Another type of fasting which you may be more familiar with, and that has become even more popular in recent days, is that of abstaining from some material thing in your life. This could include television, video games, recreational reading, or anything else you think you could use a break from. I’ve participated in this type of fasting many times, and it can be just as beneficial as the traditional method given the proper circumstances. Not only does it create more time to spend with God, but it can also help to break any bad habits we may have developed. On the other hand,  if you’re the type of person that doesn’t waste too much time on trivial things, this may not be the way to go. Once again, prayerful consideration is the best way to determine how you should fast  and for what length of time.

Whatever you choose to fast from, the Lord will honor your desire to draw closer to Him and bless you for it. Whether it means missing a meal or your favorite T.V show, no fast that is done in a spirit of true worship and humility is a wasted effort.

Most of you who are Christian music fans have probably heard the song Starry Night by Chris August playing quite a bit on your local CCM station. I personally love the song, and I was thrilled to be able to meet the artist in person this evening. It was a great time and I hope you’ll enjoy this video I shot of him singing his hit single. It’s such a great song with a beautiful message.

 

 

Me and Chris August

You may have heard it said that God has instituted a “whosoever will” program when it comes to salvation. And while I don’t mean to abuse a cliché, that is the blatant truth of the matter. The Lord will force Himself on nobody, and requires each of us to make a personal choice either for or against Him out of our own free will.

In case it isn’t obvious, the phrase “whosoever will” in this passage simply means “whoever wants to.” The Lord does not give prejudice to those with Christian parents, or to those who seem to have already established a set of seemingly good morals. No, He says “whosoever will.” Whether the above description fits you, or is the complete opposite of who you are and the lifestyle that you live, “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), and His only requirement is a broken and contrite [i.e. repentant] heart – what David called “the sacrifices of God.” – in order to be saved. (Psalm 51:17)

Perhaps the devil has been telling you that you’re too far gone, and that there is no hope for you. But yet while you’ve read these words, something within your being has yearned for this thing called Living Water. Though you may not fully understand what it is, you know it’s what you need. That, my friend, is all you need to be eligible to receive it: the desire. The invitation still stands.

According to Scripture, there is a time for everything. There is “a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;” (Ecclesiastes 3:2-3).

Likewise, I believe there is a time to share with you messages that give us a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and a time to share messages that have the potential to ruffle a few feathers. Today somebody shared these videos with me, and I felt compelled to share them with you as well, even though some of you may not agree with me. Even if you can already tell where this post is headed, I’m asking that you please take the time to watch the below videos – even if you’ve already made up your mind to disagree. If you don’t watch each one, you’re going to miss it. They were a huge eye-opener for me, and I hope they are for you as well.

 

“Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”

                          -John 6:60-62 & 67-68

My longtime followers will remember about 6 months ago when a dozen or so of us banded together and had a “Day of Praise.” On April 20, we vowed not to ask God for anything whatsoever, but to instead spend as much time as we could praising Him for what He’d already done in our lives.

Ever since then, I’ve tossed around the idea of having another Day of Praise, but I just never felt like the timing was right. That is, until now. A few minutes ago, I was exploring klove.com, and look what I saw!

I know it’s very short notice, but I would love for us to be able to join the listeners of Klove in this day of praise. There is definite power in numbers, and the more people that praise God together the more glory He will receive. With that said, will you consider joining me this Monday to praise the Lord for Who He is and what He’s done in your life? If you plan to participate, please leave me a comment and let me know so we can be encouraged by your thankfulness to God. Also, if you are reading this tonight (Saturday), you might also consider sharing this opportunity with your church tomorrow morning or evening. I’m sure at least a few of the congregation would be thrilled to sacrifice one day of their week to praising God.

As a final thought, Monday is usually thought of as being a bad day that nobody looks forward to. Many of us will be going back to school or work, and we’re not at all excited about that concept. But just think what a great start it would be to your week if you spent the whole day with a praise in your heart to God (Ephesians 5:19)! I’m sure it would give each of us the needed joy to make it through the rest of our week. Won’t you join us?

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…”

                                      -Psalm 48:1

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

                           -James 1:27

This afternoon as I sat in the parking lot of a nearby grocery store, preparing to leave and go to the next place on our list,  an elderly woman very slowly pushed her shopping cart next to her vehicle and began loading her groceries. I watched with pity as she made one or two trips between her cart and trunk, taking several seconds just to walk those few feet. As I sat comfortably in the AC of our car watching her struggle and strain just to load a few groceries, I thought to myself, “What am I doing just sitting here?” It was at that moment I felt the Lord unmistakably leading me to go and help this woman do something that wouldn’t take me more than a few seconds, as opposed to taking her several minutes. So I did.

It was through this experience that the Lord has began dealing with me about the message of James 1:27 (above). You see, in Bible times it was not at all uncommon to see fatherless children and widowed women quite often. Basically, these type of people were every where! To the best of my knowledge, there were no orphanages or Social Security benefits  in those days. In other words, these people were without help and often without hope.  So you see, James was telling us, in essence, that if we want to do something great for God, we need look no further than our own neighborhood. He was telling us, “Hey! You want to make a difference for God? Look around you! There are people right next door who need your help, so what are you waiting for?”

The song below that I’m about to share with you carries a powerful message. How many times have we simply passed up an opportunity to bless others because we were too consumed looking to be used for “bigger” things. The truth is, there is no “big things and little things” with God. Whether its evangelizing a country, or giving a cup of cold water to those who do so (Matthew 10:42), we will not be without reward in heaven for any good deed done in the name of Jesus Christ. Don’t miss a single chance to be a light for Jesus – whether it means getting on a plane, or taking a walk over to the neighbors.

“This is a call for a change in my heart, I realize that I’ve not been doing my part. When I needed a savior, I found it in Him; He gave to me so I’ll give back to them.”

As we all know, taking God’s name in vain is a terrible sin. And as with every sin, “the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) But while we generally associate taking God’s name in vain with cursing and swearing by it, the Lord’s definition is much further-reaching.

“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

                        -Proverbs 30:8, 9

You see, I don’t think that Agur, the one who authored this particular proverb (see verse 1), was fearful that he might curse with God’s name if he went hungry. The fact is, he was afraid that his lifestyle would then contradict his professed Godliness – thus bringing shame to God Himself. While using God’s name as a filth word is taking His name in vain, so is professing the name of Christ while denying it with your actions (see Titus 1:16). This is what I’m afraid has happened in the American church in their use of the cross.

While the cross may bring comfort to weary Christians today (and it should), it is still a symbol of death – Christ’s death. That means we should not treat it lightly. People often tattoo the cross on their arm and wear it around their neck without giving a second thought to the significance of their actions. In many ways, it has become more of a decoration than anything else.

Please don’t think that I’m discouraging you from having a cross anywhere besides your church. That’s not the point. As you can see from the photo above, I have one in my yard where I often spend time praying. It’s not a sin to hang a cross in your house, or to wear a t-shirt that portrays it's image. My hope is simply that we would treat the cross with the utmost respect, seeing as it is a symbol of Christ Himself. If we take the cross in vain, we take the very name of Christ in vain.